From November 18 to 20, Viktor Yelensky, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, paid an official visit to the Vatican, holding a series of high-level meetings with senior officials of the Holy See and the Secretariat of State.

During his visit, Yelensky met with:
• Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches;
• Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue;
• Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education;
• Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity;
• Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

In addition to his meetings at the Vatican, Yelensky also held talks at the Sovereign Order of Malta with Giampaolo Cantini, the Order’s Secretary General for Foreign Affairs.

In discussions throughout the visit, the sides addressed the state of religious freedom in Ukraine, the pressures created by Russia’s ongoing aggression, the needs of religious communities in frontline regions, and the humanitarian challenges facing civilians. They also explored avenues for strengthening interreligious and inter-Christian dialogue, expanding cultural and educational initiatives, and increasing opportunities for Ukrainian seminarians and theologians to study at institutions of the Holy See. Attention was likewise given to deepening humanitarian cooperation with the Order of Malta.

According to officials, both parties reaffirmed a shared commitment to continued cooperation in protecting religious freedom, expanding humanitarian engagement in Ukraine, supporting ecclesial and interfaith initiatives, and further reinforcing dialogue between Ukraine and the Holy See.

Concluding his visit on November 20, Yelensky attended a Mass at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, held in remembrance of the victims of the 1932–1933 Holodomor famine-genocide and dedicated to prayers for the release of Ukrainian military and civilian captives, as well as for a just and lasting peace. The liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.